Shopping Again – The Southern Market

What is going on!?  Well, I was given the opportunity to accompany Laurie on yet another shopping adventure.  It was an offer I couldn’t refuse so I added dinner out to make it even more ‘special’. 

Laurie had seen several ads for the 23rd Annual Holiday Open House at The Southern Market and a visit was high on her ‘want to do’ list!  The store is located on a side street in the popular Bearden area of Knoxville…close to the Sequoia neighborhood.

We’ve been living in the Knoxville area for more than 10 years and despite the fact that The Southern Market had opened way back in 1996, we’d never paid them a visit before.  It was founded by a mother and daughter team and, after surviving all these years in the face of the ongoing retail brick and mortar retail Armageddon, this operation continues to flourish. 

FYI, just to the left of this photo there also is an outdoor ‘shop’ with lots of garden décor and more.

Of course, a successful boutique operation like The Southern Market has to offer something unique to continue in business for over 20 years.  Their formula appears to be a solid vetting of their many ‘shop owners’, ensuring that they 1) offer quality and 2) bring something different to the store’s overall retail mix.

I’m not a shopper…no surprise, right?  But I did have a favorite vendor in the mix at The Southern Market.  Cinnaholic is a bake shop located at 9450 South Northshore Drive in Knoxville.  They were handing out samples…so of course I managed to ‘sample’ 3 times!  The fact that everything they do is vegan doesn’t sell me but their products sure are tasty.  Check out their website at https://locations.cinnaholic.com/ll/US/TN/Knoxville/9450-S-Northshore-Dr.

The store is packed with boutique shops that offer a plethora of products including art, home décor, dolls, gift cards, furniture, lighting, jewelry and a huge variety of gift items of all types.

This particular colorful shop offers pillows, gifts, candles, art work, jewelry and much more.

Laurie didn’t see me take this photo as she perused yet another shop, this one heavy on original jewelry and other seasonal gifts.

The Southern Market’s merchants stage special festivals like the Holiday Market 3 times each year.  In the spring there is a Spring Fling around the first of April which is set up much like a trendy Parisian flea market.  In August, the theme is an orange and white “Tailgate Party” where merchants sell their products from the tailgates of their vehicles.

FYI, for those who aren’t from Tennessee, orange and white are the colors of the Tennessee University Volunteers…

This less cluttered shop featured sweaters, a bit of macramé, home décor and a variety of soaps.

No corner, aisle or nook was devoid of merchandise!  For a real shopper, this must be a version of paradise…big and little items to check out wherever they look!

…and business was definitely booming!  Look at this checkout counter… Few men ventured inside but I watched the ladies constantly flowing into the store empty handed and then exiting with lots of bags.

I am quite sure that Laurie will return to The Southern Market, hopefully accompanied by her sister Bonnie or one of our neighbors.  The Southern Market is located at 5400 Homberg Drive in Knoxville Tennessee.  Phone: 865-588-0274.  Website: https://southernmarketshops.com/.  FYI, online shopping opportunities are available…

Remember…I had promised that we’d eat dinner out.  I didn’t specify exactly where!  This Culver’s fast food franchise had opened a year or two earlier and we’d never dined here.  In the distant past we had eaten at Culver’s in the Chicago area and up in Wisconsin where the firm is based.

OK…I forgot to take photos of my Pretzel Haus Pub Burger, Laurie’s Cheddar ButterBurger, my French fries, Laurie’s milkshake or our deep fried Wisconsin Cheese Curds.  Maybe next time.  In any case, ButterBurgers are pretty good, significantly better than Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Hardee’s and Burger King…but, in our opinion they aren’t quite as tasty as Freddie’s Steakburgers.  However, our first impression of their staff was very positive, almost at a ‘Chick-fil-a level’.

The Knoxville Culver’s restaurant is located at 9113 Kingston Pike.  Phone: 865-357-1780.  The Company website is at https://www.culvers.com/.

That’s it for now… Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them.

Thanks for stopping by for a visit.

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave